Presidential election not on agenda with parliament to vote on committee bylaws

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s parliament will vote Tuesday on amendments to its internal bylaws and on the names and mandates of parliamentary committees, according to the parliament’s media department.

The agenda includes a vote on amended regulations governing committees, a vote on committee names and tasks, and general discussions.

The agenda does not include electing a president. Earlier this month, parliament postponed a scheduled session to elect the president without setting a new date, leaving the country under a caretaker government.

On Sunday, Speaker Haibat al-Halbousi formally requested the Federal Supreme Court to interpret a constitutional provision on the continuation of the president’s duties, following parliament’s failure to elect a new president within the required timeframe.

Iraq’s government formation has stalled since the 2025 elections. Parliament must elect a president before a prime minister can be tasked, but the constitutional deadline has passed.

The position has been at the center of a dispute between the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. On Feb. 11, PUK spokesperson Karwan Gaznay said a meeting between KDP leader Masoud Barzani and PUK President Bafel Jalal Talabani took place “in an atmosphere characterized by complete calm,” but denied any agreement had been reached.